Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Spring 2026 - CMPT 404 D100

Cryptography and Cryptographic Protocols (3)

Class Number: 5465

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Jan 5 – Apr 10, 2026: Mon, 2:30–4:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

    Jan 5 – Apr 10, 2026: Wed, 2:30–3:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    (MACM 201 or CMPT 210) with a minimum grade of C-. CMPT 307 and 308 are recommended.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

The main cryptographic tools and primitives, their use in cryptographic applications; security and weaknesses of the current protocols. The notion of security, standard encryption schemes, digital signatures, zero-knowledge, selected other topics.

COURSE DETAILS:

This course focuses on cryptographic primitives and cryptosystems underlying secure communication and information protection. We will study private-key and public-key encryption, authentication, digital signatures, and commitment schemes, and see how they are used in practice, analyse what it means for them to be secure, and look at why widely-used schemes such as SSL may be insecure. We will cover a range of cryptographic applications from wifi protocols to electronic voting and blockchains.

Topics

  • Basic cryptographic primitives and respective computational assumptions
  • Private-key encryption, block ciphers
  • Public-key encryption, certificates and certificate authorities
  • Message authentication, digital signatures and hashing
  • Secure communication protocols
  • Commitment schemes, blockchains
  • Time permitting: post-quantum cryptography

Grading

NOTES:

Will be discussed in the first week of classes.

Students must attain an overall passing grade on the weighted average of exams in the course in order to obtain a clear pass (C- or better).

Materials

RECOMMENDED READING:

Cryptography and Network Security: Principles and Practice
William Stallings, Prentice Hall, 2016, 8th Edition
ISBN: 9780135764039

Handbook of Applied Cryptography
lfred J. Menezes, Paul C. van Oorschot, and Scott A. Vanston, CRC-Press, 1996
ISBN: 9780849385230

Foundations of Cryptography 
Volume I, Basic Tools, Oded Goldreich, Cambridge Univ. Press, 2007
ISBN: 9780521035361

Introduction to Modern Cryptography
Jonathan Katz, Yehuda Lindell, Chapman and Hall/CRC, 2014
(All editions, newer or older, are acceptable)
ISBN: 9781466570269

REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Department Undergraduate Notes:

The following are default policies in the School of Computing Science. Please check your course syllabus whether the instructor has chosen a different policy for your class, otherwise the following policies apply.
 
  • Students must attain an overall passing grade on the weighted average of exams in the course in order to get a C- or higher.
  • All student requests for accommodations for their religious practices must be made in writing by the end of the first week of classes, or no later than one week after a student adds a course. After considering a request, an instructor may provide a concession or may decline to do so. Students requiring accommodations as a result of a disability can contact the Centre for Accessible Learning (caladmin@sfu.ca).

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

At SFU, you are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all your academic work. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty harms your own learning, undermines the efforts of your classmates who pursue their studies honestly, and goes against the core values of the university.

To learn more about the academic disciplinary process and relevant academic supports, visit: 


RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.